LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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HoUinger 

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Mill Run F3-1955 



U. S. SANITARY COMMISSION. 



BRIEF REPORTS 

Of the operations of the Sayiitary Coimnissionin Tennessee, May^ 1862, 

BY 

? d! ^ 
DR J. srisFEWBERRY, 

SEC'Y WEST. DEP'T. 

Fked. Law Olmsted, Esq., 

Secretary United States Sanitary Cominission : 
Dear Sir: — 

I have just returned from Pittsburgh Landing, where I 
have spent the last two weeks in doing, so far as in my power, the work of 
the Commission. And now, before my retura, which must be immediate, 
I will give you briefly a history of some of the results recently accomplished 
by the various agents and representatives of our organization in Tennessee. 
At the time of the battle of Pittsburgh I was in Nashville, engaged in the 
establishment of a depot of supplies. There are eleven hospitals there, 
containing about thirty-five hundred sick. Most of the hospital buildings 
are situated without the city limits, and are large, handsome, airy structures 
—formerly medical and academical schools, asylums, seminaries, &c.— some 
of the numerous public edifices for which Nashville has been celebrated. 
They are generally well located and unusually well adapted to hospital pur- 
poses. In these respects they are much superior to the buildings occupied 
by the sick in Louisville, but in regard to equipments and attendance the 
comparison is by no means so favorable to them. We found in all a great 
deficiency in hospital furniture and stores ; and since that market aff'ords 
almost nothing suitable for hospital diet, and the volunteer care and contri- 
butions from resident ladies, so important and beautiful an element in the 
Louisville hospitals, is here almost entirely wantmg, the condition of the 
sick ofiered abundant inducements for our efforts in their behalf. 



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ARMY HOSPITALS. 

The Sanitary Commission, as you are aware, has been fortunate in being 
represented in Gen. Buell's army by inspectors of unusual energy and 
merit — Drs. Read and Prentice — and in having to do with one of the best 
of men, in Dr. Murray, the Medical Director. As a consequence, we have 
here enjoyed the rare privilege of doing all the good in our power, without 
opposition or impediment. The Commission has, therefore, in this district, 
become a living force, and working in harmonious and efficient cooperation 
with the constituted authorities, has accomplished so much in the prevention 
and relief of suflFering, as to secure the sincere respect— to use no stronger 
expression, of all who are cognizant of its efforts. Such being our status, 
tlie duty of providing for the wants of those in hospital became at once easy 
and pleasant. From Dr. E. Swift, the Medical Purveyor in Nashville, we 
received all possible assistance, and through his intervention obtained a fine 
room, which is now the depot for the stores entrusted to the Commission 
by the loyal women of Ohio, Kentucliy and Indiana. In this depot we 
were able to place at once three hundred boxes of hospital stores, which, 
under the care of Dr. Read and Mr. Fr acker, are being dispensed to the 
inmates of the hospitals at Nashville, Murfreesboro and Columbia. At these 
several points there are now from six to seven thousand sick, most of whom 
were in great need of the very things we were able to supply. I am sure it 
would gladden the hearts of all who are interested in our work if they could 
see, as I have seen, the surgeons coming hourly to our depot, bringing long 
lists of much needed articles, and taking away wagon load after wagon load 
of sheets, shirts, drawers, towels, pillows, comforts, wine, jellies, eggs, but- 
ter, cheese, potatoes, fruit, dried beef, canned meats, &c., &c., all to be imme- 
diately and carefully employed to cheer and cure our suffering volunteers. 
This depot is now one of the institutions of Nashville, and is accomplishing 
a great amount of good. 

Just as it was put into working order we received news of the battle at 
Pittsburgh, and Dr. Prentice and myself hastened to the scene of action. 

THE PITTSBURGH BATTLE-FIELD. 

On our way up the Tennessee we met three transports descending, loaded 
with wounded, destined for the hospitals at Paducah and Mound City. 
Arriving at Savannah Saturday night we found nearly two thousand sick 
and wounded crowded into churches, dwelling-houses, and structures of all 
kinds, filling to repletion every receptacle at all fitted to hold them. The 
suffering and destitution here were extreme. The number of surgeons and 
nurses was entirely inadequate, and the resources of the Medical Department 
in the way of bedding, clothing, dressings and diet so exceedingly meagre, 
that it is scarcely too much to say that all things necessary to the proper 
care of this great mass of suffering humanity were wholly wanting. 

Depending upon the large stock of stores forwarded to Pittsburgh before 



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the figlit, we had little to supply the pressing wants of the wounded at Sa- 
vannah. We therefore hastened forward on Sunday morning to headquar- 
ters at Pittsburgh Landing. The scene that here met our eyes was one to 
which no description, though it exhausted all the resources of language, 
could do anything like justice. 

For the space of a mile or more the bank of the river was lined with 
steamers, closely packed together, loaded with troops, stores and munitions 
of war. Each of these steamers was discharging its cargo, living or inani- 
mate, upon the steep and muddy bank, and soldiers, forage, provisions, 
clothing, artillery, army wagons and ambulances — the reinforcements and 
supplies of the great army which covered the hills for miles around— poured 
on to the shore in a noisy, turbulent, chaotic flood. 

To one standing on the bluff overlooking the landing, the scene below 
seemed one of wild and hopeless confusion. Soldiers hurrymg to and fro 
in a busy, inter-weaving crowd; the countless throng of army wagons 
floundering through the mud, now inter-locking, now upsetting with their 
loads ; the wounded, borne on ambulances or on litters to the boats ; the 
dead, lying stiff and stark on the wet ground, over-run with almost con- 
temptuous indifference by the living; the busy squads of grave-diggers 
rapidly consigning the corpses to the shallow trenches — all this formed a 
picture new, horrible, and never-to-be-forgotten by the many who here, for 
the first time, were brought face to face with the dreadful realities of the 
war in which we are engaged. It is no part of my duty, however, to de- 
scribe to you the horrors of the battle-field. This has been done, graphic- 
ally and well, by others, and I turn at once, with legitimate pleasure, to the 
many bright spots in the dark picture I have sketched. 

THE HOSPITAL BOATS. 

Previous to our arrival, and in company with us, there had come to the 
relief of the wounded in the battle of Pittsburg, quite a fleet of hospital 
boats, sent by the considerate humanity of our warm-hearted and patriotic 
people, and embodying the spirit of our beneficent and wide-spread organi- 
zation. 

These now lay, each marked with its yellow flag, moored among the steam • 
ers which lined the shore. They had come freighted with stores, surgeons 
and nurses, and afforded commodious and comfortable quarters to thousands 
who, but for them, must have endured incalculable suffering, and in many 
cases death itself. Doubtless you will have received from Dr. Douglass a 
more minute account than I can give you of the earlier efforts made for the 
care of the Wounded, but so far as I could learn, the history of the measures 
taken for the relief of suffering among the victims of the battle are sotne- 
what as folio Ws : 

The preparation made by the government for the engagement which had 
been expected to take place a few days later, was, for some reason^ far from 



adequate. Though aid tendered by the Cincinnati Commission had been 
declined by Gen. Halleck, just at that time very large requisitions were 
made on the Branch Commissions of Cincinnati and Chicago by the Medical 
Purveyor of Gen. Grant's division. In answer to these requisitions, and 
spontaneously, a large quantity of hospital stores was sent up the Tennes- 
see from Chicago, Cincinnati and Cleveland, and yet nothing like a suflScient 
stock was in the hands of the Medical Purveyor to meet the emergency 
when it arrived. This may be in part accounted for by the fact that on 
Sunday a portion of the supplies of our army fell into the hands of the ene, 
my, but there is still reason to believe that the medical or military authori- 
ties failed to act with the promptness, forethought and energy which the 
circumstances required. Much had been done, however, in anticipation of 
this conflict, which was in the highest degree wise and commendable. The 
government offlcers had chartered four large steamers, which had been fitted 
up by the Western Sanitary Commission, and were of incalculable benefit 
when the fight took place. 

Immediately on hearing of the battle, the Chicago Branch Commission, 
with its accustomed promptness, despatched a special train to Cairo, taking 
large quantities of supplies, and a corps of surgeons and nurses, all under 
the care of Rev. Dr. Patton and Dr. Isham. These reached the scene of 
action on the Louisiana — government hospital boat— on Friday evening. 
The good which they accomplished by their services and much needed 
stores, can hardly be estimated ; indeed, the arrival of this steamer may be 
regarded as the sunrise of a glorious day, which soon dissipated the dark- 
ness, till then brooding over the battle-field. Dr. Simmons, medical director 
of Gen. Halleck's army, Dr. Brinton, his efficient aid, and Dr. Douglass 
of our Commission, arrived with the Chicago delegation on the Louisiana, 
and as all acted in harmony and with enthusiasm, you can imagine that 
their efl"orts soon gave a new phase to medical aff'au-s at Pittsburgh Landing. 
The Cincinnati Branch Commission was also most creditably represented 
at Pittsburgh. Two first-class steamers, the Tycoon and Monarch, were 
fitted out as hospital boats by the Commission, furnished with every com- 
fort and even luxury for the wounded, and manned by a large and efficient 
corps of g urgeons and nurses. These boats were under the care, respective- 
ly, of Drs. Mendenhall and Comegys. After dispensing with liberal 
hand of their stores to the sufierers at the Landing, they both returned, 
carrying loads of wounded, all thoroughly and tenderly cared for, to the 
hospitals on the Ohio. 

From Cincinnati came also, on the same merciful errand, the Lancaster 
and Superior, chartered by the municipal authorities, for the most part 
equipped by the Sanitary Commission, and the latter accompanied by ten 
of its members. 

Since that time the Cincinnati Branch Commission has furnished and 
forwarded several other boats for Pittsburgh and Savannah, and has thus 



retained the preeminence in philanthropy gained by the Allen Collier, the 
pioneer hospital boat despatched by the Commission to Fort Donelson. 

The Governor of Ohio sent from Cincinnati the splendid steamer Magno- 
lia, in charge of Dr. Weber, the Surgeon-General of the State, to look after 
the wants of the wounded of Ohio regiments. This boat was almost lux- 
uriously fitted up by our efficient auxiliaries, the Aid Societies of Cleveland 
and Columbus, and returned to Cincinnati with two hundred and thirty of 
the sufferers in the fight. Since then, the Legislature has made liberal 
appropriations for this purpose, and several other steamers have been des- 
patched by the Governor on the same mission. 

During my stay, there came from Louisville two hospital boats—from 
Evansville, Indiana, one, and from Quincy, Illinois, another; all chartered 
by the State authorities for the care of the State troops. These, like those 
I have before enumerated, were but the advance-guard of the great fleet 
which, wafted by the breath of sympathy and patriotism, came, bringing 
health, courage and life to the thousands left shattered and bleeding by the 
storm of battle. 

A large number of other boats were sent by the efficient branches of our 
Commission which now exist throughout the Western States, and nearly all 
were fitted out from our stores, and were accompanied by our associate 
members. 

RELIEF OF THE SUFFERING. 

This splendid display of humanity may therefore be regarded as the ex- 
ponent of the value of our organization, and in great part the legitimate 
fruit of the efforts we have made and the system we have adopted for 
"promoting the health, comfort and efficiency of our volunteer troops." 

It is true, that in the luxuriant growth of the measures of relief in which 
the interest of the people in the success of our arms, and the fate of broth- 
ers, sons, husbands and lovers has expressed itself, symmetry has been often 
lost, and system over-shadowed; yet, while we have to regret that in many 
cases the eff^orts for the relief of suffering have been irregular, wasteful, 
fruitless and even harmful, we can congratulate ourselves that, on the whole,' 
incalculable good has been done, in which all should heartily rejoice. 

The part which Dr. Douglass, Dr. Prentice and myself were able to 
perform in the great work which has been done at Pittsburgh Landing, was, 
I think, not without its value and importance. It was to harmonize and 
systematize, so far as possible, the diverse, and sometimes discordant ele- 
ments which are in action in a common cause. 

Through our relations with the military and medical authorities, we were 
able to facilitate the accomplishment of the objects for which our friends 
had come, and to effect the more speedy and completerelief of the suffering. 

It aff"ords me sincere pleasure to say that at all times and in all cases ^^e 
were most courteously and kindly treated by those in authority, and a de- 
gree of respect and consideration accorded to us, as the representatives of 
our Commission, which was most gratifying to us, and complimentaiy to it. 



DEPOT OF SUPPLIES. 

In addition to the duty to whicli I have alluded, I devoted myself, during 
a part of my stay, to the establishment of a d^ot of supplies at this point. 

Through the kindly cooperation of Dr. Grinsted, the Medical Purveyor, 
this was easily accomplished. He assigned to our use a series of tents 
pitched adjoining his own, in which were placed the stores sent there on 
my requisition, and then turned over to us by the Branch Commissions of 
Chicago, Cincinnati and Columbus, These combined, composed nearly 
one hundred and fifty boxes of supplies, containing an assortment of the 
most useful articles. 

This depot was put in charge of Dr. Prentice, and before I left, was in 
active and successful operation. The surgeons of the regiments composing 
Gen. Halleck's army were systematically notified of its existence, and 
when coming with their requisitions to the Medical Purveyor, now apply to 
him for such things as they need and government cannot furnish. 

The importance of the work accomplished by the depot may be inferred 
from the following extract from a letter written by Mr. F. C. Sessions, of 
Columbus, Ohio : 

*****" The United States Sanitary Commission is 
doing a noble work. Many of our men must have died had it not been for 
the generous support sent by Ladies' Aid Societies. At the Purveyor's 
ofiice, there were no hospital stores, and not a full supply of medicines. 
I distributed nearly all the fifteen boxes from Columbus, on two hospital 
boats. Dr. Prentice, of Cleveland, Medical Inspector, appointed by the 
United States Sanitary Commission, has now three large tents near the 
Purveyor's office, and is distributing sanitary goods without regard to States. 
Any needy regimental hospitals can be supplied. Many Aid Societies 
complain that their goods are not distributed to the immediate friends from 
the points from which they are sent. It is impossible for him to do so, and 
the rule of the Commission forbids it. Some local institutions have 
sent goods here and carried them back, and others have been thrown 
upon the shore with none to care for them. Dr. Prentice is indefa- 
tigable in his labors to correctly distribute anything sent to him, to ex- 
amine personally the needs of the regimental hospitals, and to distribute 
only to the surgeons or on their requisitions. Goods sent to Dr. Prentice, 
United States Sanitary Commission, care United States Purveyor, Pittsburgh 
Landing, Tennessee, or to the Commissions at Cleveland, Columbus or Cin- 
cinnati will be properly cared for. Had it not been for the sanitary sys- 
tem at Pittsburgh Landing, many a brave man would have been beyond sav- 
ing." * *********** 

To the depot at Pittsburgh Landing I have since sent a large amount of 
stores, and shall to-morrow start with over two hundred boxes more, and 
with nearly a steamer load of potatoes, vegetables, fruits, stimulants, ice, 
&c., <fec., all furnished by the liberality of the Soldier's Aid Society of North- 
ern Ohio. 



A STORE-SHIP NEEDED. 

In this connection let mc say that we greatly need, in Gen. Halleck's 
department a steamer that shall ply between the frontier and the excellent 
markets of the Ohio, carrying fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, &c., &c., which, 
in addition to the ordinary hospital supplies, would be furnished in any 
quantity by the liberality of our people if we only had the means of trans- 
porting them. The Medical Director has promised me a barge for a floating 
depot, which may thus be moved from point to point as circumstances may 
require ; but we want something more — a steamer instinct with life, to go 
and come as we may direct — now carrying sick or wounded to hospital, or 
discharged and furloughed men to their homes and friends ; now returning 
richly freighted with all the abundance of the North, to those who, sick or 
well, have for months tasted nothing better than hard bread and bacon. It 
seems to me that, on proper conditions, the government should furnish us 
such a boat. 

A greater battle than that at Pittsburgh is daily expected at Corinth, and to 
meet our responsibilities in such an emergency, I start this evening for 
Cincinnati to take charge of a steamer which has been chartered for a trip 
to that point, and which, with its load of stores and corps of attaches, will, 
I hope, be the means of preventing in some degree, both suffering and loss 
of life. 

Yours Respectfully, 

J. S. NEWBERRY, 

Associate Secretary. 



Cleveland, May 16, 1863. 
MRS. B. ROUSE, President Soldiers' Aid Society : 
Dear Madam: — 

Having just returned from Pittsburgh, Tenn., whither I 
went with a steamer chartered by the U. S. Sanitary Commission, fitted up 
for the reception of the sick, and richly freighted with hospital stores by 
your Society, it seems to me proper that I should make some report to you 
of what use and disposition I have made of the abundant and valuable 
stores which you committed to my care. 

On my arrival at Cincinnati, I found the 351 boxes and barrels sent May 
1st to my address, not only all safe in the custody of the agents of the Little 
Miami Rail Road Company, but thanks to the generosity of the officers of 
the road, and those of the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Rail Road, 
all subject to my order, with no charge for transportation. 

These stores were put on board the Lancaster, No. 4— the steamer we 
had chartered— without delay or accident. 

The 351 packages to which I have referred, contained, according to the 

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accompanymg invoices, 817 bed ticks, '275 comfortables, 1223 towels, 15 
mattresses, 546 sheets, 191 pairs socks, 874 pillows, 3,010 pillow cases, 800 
shirts, 889 handkerchiefs, 641 cushions, 98 pairs drawers, 7 vests, 3 pairs 
pants, 15 coats, 98 pairs crutches, 8 blankets, 452 sheets, 34 bed-gowns, 37 
pairs slippers, 370 pin cushions, eye-shades, &c., 988 lbs. dried beef, 384 lbs. 
groceries, 6 boxes dried fruit, 15 lbs. dried apples, 961 cans and jars of fruit, 
5 kegs pickles, 1866 dozen eggs, 1 box apple butter, 519 lbs. butter, 134 lbs. 
bread, 985 lbs. cheese, 1463 lbs. dried fruit, 7 bottles lemon syrup, 360 bottles 
wine, 3 boxes lemons, 11 bottles horse radish, 31 bottles catsup, 9 lbs. soap, 
10 gals, maple syrup, 632 lbs. maple sugar, 29 spittoons, 38 basins, 310 vols, 
books, 3 boxes magazines, 130 lbs. linen lint. 

I also, in accordance with your instructions, and with the moaey fur- 
nished by your Society for that purpose, purchased in Cincinnati nearly 
300 packages of such articles as could be best procured there, and such as 
seemed necessary for the comfort and w^ell-being of the sick among our 
soldiers in Tennessee. 

These articles, which are enumerated in the accompanying invoices^and 
vouchers, consisted of Lemons, Oranges, Sauer- Kraut, Potatoes, Crackers, 
Codfish, Ice, Ale, Tea, CoflTee, Tapioca, Sago, Cocoa, Farina, Mustard, Soap, 
Loaf Sugar, Tin-ware, Wooden-ware, Fans, Musquito Bars, &c., &c. Hav- 
ing received all these things on board, we left Cincinnati Friday evening. 
May 3d. 

At Louisville we took on board 159 convalescent soldiers returning to 
duty, several paymasters, with $3,500,000 in cash, and a quantity of govern- 
ment freight, by the transport of which, the expenses of our trip were 
reduced over $700. Our voyage down the Ohio and up the Tennessee was 
made without accident or incident. 

We arrived at Savannah early on the morning of the 6th, and found there 
nearly six hundred sick, but all pretty well cared for, and not greatly in 
need of articles of clothing or diet. Pittsburg Landing was, on our arrival, 
comparatively deserted and quiet. The great body of the army having re- 
moved to a distance of from six to twelve miles, and being more readily 
reached from Buell's Landing and Hamburg— points higher up the river— 
Pittsburg had m a great measure lost its importance as an entrepot for sup- 
plies, and hospital station. 

The Medical Director and Purveyor of Gen. Halleck's army still made 
their headquarters there, however, and we found the Depot of the U. S. 
Sanitary Commission occupying part of the store-ship of the Medical Pur- 
veyor, and in the hands of Dr. Douglass, Dr. Warriner, Mrs. Noble, Mr. 
Clapham, Mr. Mall, and Mr. Goodsmith, w^ho were doing a large and im- 
portant business in supplying the wants of the sick. Learning from the 
Medical Director that Hamburgh, seven miles above Pittsburgh Landing, 
had already become the most important port of entry for the army on the 
river, and that the business of Pittsburg Landing would soon all be trans- 
ferred to this point, by his advice we transported our stores to that place, 



9 

and established a new depot there, which is now in charge of Dr. Prentice. 

There were, at the time of our visit, 3,500 sick at Hamburgh, and al- 
though nearly every day a steamer load was being removed, they were 
coming in in such nun\bers as to keep the hospital tents prepared to receive 
them, crowded to their utmost capacity, and even more than full. The 
hospitals here are in charge of Dr. W. Varian, (son of Rev. Mr. Varian of 
Cleveland), assisted by Dr. Gay, Dr. Stiff, and others. These gentlemen 
are doing all things possible for those under their care, and are performing 
an amount of labor that is severely taxing their strength. From the sur- 
geons I have mentioned, we received every attention and kindness. They 
provided for us a house in which to place our stores, and transported them 
to it from the boat. They also gave us assurance of the continuance of the 
hearty cooperation which they have initiated. 

From the report of Dr. Varian and my own observation of the condi- 
tion of the sick at Hamburgh, I learned that the demand for hospital cloth- 
ing had been, for the time, pretty well supplied by the Medical Purveyor and 
the contributions of the people, mainly through the agency of the branches 
of the U. S. Sanitary Commission. Of proper articles of diet, however, 
such as composed the bulk of your donations, there was a sad deficiency. 
Most of the sick are greatly debilitated, and are much more in want of 
stimulants and nourishing, appetizing food, than any kind of medication. 
Most diseases here assume a typhoid type, and more than half of the 
severely sick have typhoid fever. Scurvy is beginning to make its ap- 
pearance among our troops, and the health of all is impaired by their long- 
continued deprivation of fresh meats, fruits and vegetables. I cannot 
describe, nor can you fully imagine, how great blessings the eggs, the 
butter, the cheese, the oranges, the lemons, the thousand cans of fruit, the 
sauer kraut, the pickles, the ice, the potatoes, the ale, the wine, and other 
articles of equal value, which composed your generous gift, will be to these 
poor, feeble, feverish, and almost famished fellows, now lying in the hospi- 
tals at Hamburgh Landing. Could our people realize how priceless a boon 
an orange, or a glass of lemonade would be to those who are burning with 
fever, breathing that stifling air, they would hardly rest till so cheap a lux- 
ury was possessed by all those who deserve from us so much greater things 
and who could so readily command them at their homes. 

As an evidence of the value of one item of your contributions, let me say 
that the eggs alone, which arrived in excellent condition, if sold at the prices 
obtained for them there by the sutlers, would bring the sum of over $600. 

Having transferred our stores to the Depot, we took on board, mainly at 
Hamburgh, 218 sick. These were for the most part from Michigan regi- 
ments, there being many more from this State requiring removal than from 
any other. This was due to the fact that the steamers sent from Ohio, 
Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, had taken away the sick from these States 
nearly as fast as they had gathered here. Re; resenting the National Sani- 
tary Commission, our steamer took those most requiring removal, without 
reference to State lines. 



10 

Having received on board all we could by any means accommodate, we 
left Hamburgh and Pittsburgh Landing, Friday morning, the 9th, on our 
return trip. 

Before our departure the Tycoon, sent by the Governor of Ohio for Ohio 
sick, arrived at Pittsburgh, having on board Dr. Read, and his brother, M. 
C. Read, who had been laboring for some weeks most successfully in the 
distribution of stores, and in the care of the sick at Nashville. As your 
Society has manifested a deep interest in the condition of the sick at Nash- 
ville, and your donations have contributed as much as those from any other 
source to their present well-being, the testimony of a well-known and en- 
tirely reliable gentleman to the value of our depot, and the efficiency of our 
agents, contained in the following extract, will not seem unimportant. 

Mr. F. C. Sessions, who went to Pittsburg Landing, as Commissary, on 
the steamer Tycoon, writes to the Columbus Journil as follows .• 

" Our people probably, are not generally apprised of how much the 
Western Branches of the United States Sanitary Commission have done, and 
are doing, to relieve our sick and wounded soldiers. In Gen. Buell's de- 
partment, for the last two months, they have had thirty military hospitals 
under their charge, commencing at Elizabethtown, Munfordsville, Bowling 
Green, Kentucky; Nashville, Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, Franklin and Co- 
lumbia, Tennessee. There have been something like 7,000 patients in all ; 
at Nashville, 4,606; and on the 1st of this month there were 1,300 remain- 
ing; oil deaths. They have distributed 26,000 articles. The goods were 
nearly all sent from Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Louisville, but 
distributed wherever needed. In the hospitals at Nashville, every bed is 
furnished with sheets, pillows, comforts, etc.^ 

A neighboring Stale, having sent out local agents to distribute only to its 
own troops, one of them inquiring for their sick, with a few boxes, was 
invited to go with Dr. Read, our Inspector, and in one hospital seventy- 
eight were found from that State. After distributing their goods to them, 
our Commission distributed in addition to them more (joods than had been 
received altogether from that State : showing our desire to be impartial. I 
visited the camps and hospitals at Camp Nevin and Green River, in No- 
vember and December last, and found some of them in a wretched condi- 
tion. Now, in Gen. Buell's army especially, you will find the police of the 
camps equal to the " Roman army ;" streets clean, tents well ventilated, 
refuse slops carefully disposed of, so as not to be offensive, and great im- 
provements in cooking. One boy, after coming into one of our hospitals 
and having his bed cared for and made comfortable, looked about him in the 
morning and remarked, with tears in his eyes, " It looks as if mother had 
been here." 

On our return, I was so fortunate as to secure the services of Mrs. Noble 
and Mrs. Wilcox, ladies well known to you, who have been for some time 
most assiduously occupied in the care of the sick at Savannah, and in the 



11 

arrangement and distribution of our stores at Pittsburgh. I cannot express 
to you how much I fsel indebted to both these ladies for the important 
part they took in the care of the sick on our way home — their presence and 
efforts not only relieved me from labor and anxiety, but what is of much 
more consequence, secured to those under my charge all the thousand 
delicate yet important attentions which only a woman can give at the bed- 
side of the suffering. 

On receiving the sick on board our steamer, the most seriously ill were 
placed on cots in the cabin and on the guards. Each cot was spread with 
quilts, comfortables, clean white sheets and pillows; as inviting a bed as a 
sick man could ask. It would have done your heart good if you could have 
heard the expressions of satisfaction which fell from the lips of these poor 
fellows when their soiled camp-stained garments were taken off, each wash- 
ed throughout, and clad in clean under-clothes, then laid between the sheets 
to which they had so long been strangers. 

Those who were less sick were provided with comfortable beds spread on 
the boiler-deck, mattresses filled with straw, quilts and comfortables in abun- 
dance, from the boxes M^liich you sent. 

The food furnished to the sick was abundant, varied and excellent. Fresh 
bread, butter, eggs, fresh beef in the form of soup, tea and coffee, boiled 
rice, stewed apples, canned fruits, with wine and ale to those requiring 
them, formed a bill of fare of which they did not seem disposed to complain. 

I may perhaps weary you with an enumeration of these details, but you 
must remember that not an article of food or clothing was dispensed on our 
boat which was not your gift. 

On Sunday religious services were performed by Mr. Meravin, and as 
cleanliness is next to godliness, oar convalescents were tempted to self-pu- 
rification by the offer of a pair of socks to every one who would wash his 
feet, to those who would perform a general ablution, clean shirts and draw- 
ers. In this way, with little trouble to ourselves, we soon brought our 
whole cargo of living freight into a more comfortable and presentable con- 
dition. 

After dinner, all who were able to move about were gathered to the bow, 
and I made them a little speech, in which I described to them the interest 
that is felt, and the efforts that are made for the health and comfort of the 
soldier by his friends at home— told them who had chartered the steamer 
which was carrying them so swiftly homeward — who had made and sent 
to them the gifts they were receiving, &c. &c. I closed by distributing to 
them a basket of cake which I held in my hand— prefacing the distribution, 
however, with the following little story : when away down at Pittsburgh 
Landing, in unpacking a box filled with miscellaneous niceties intended for 
the soldiers, all showing women's warm hearts and women's skillful hands, 
I had come upon a beautiful loaf of cake, nicely wrapped in a napkin. This 
I had laid away without opening, intending to cut and distribute it at the 



013 744 384 3 

proper tirue. Thinking that proper time had come, I had that afternoon 
taken it from its wrappings, wlien to my surprise, I found pinned to it a 
paper with the following inscription : 

Cuyahoga Falls, April 4th. 
For our brave soldier boys, with the compliments and love of their true 

friends. 

CLARA BABER, 
LIBBIE GRANT. 

Then I told them how, though now so far away, I had lived many years 
in the town where this cake was made, and how well worthy of their admi- 
ration and respect the young ladies who made it were. 

I need not say to j'^ou that this cake was looked upon by these poor exiles 
as something peculiarly precious and almost sacred. Broken into small 
fragments it was distributed like the bread of the sacrament to every one 
present. 

The incident was a pleasant and touching one, and many eyes unused to 
tears, were moistened by it. 

Having left the sick belonging to Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, at 
Evansville, and those from Kentucky at Louisville, on Monday evening we 
transferred to the hospitals in Cincinnati and Camp Dennison, those from 
Ohio and Michigan. 

The greatly improved condition of most of those who have been under 
our care, and their earnest tearful thanks when we parted with them, amply 
compensated us for all we had been able to do in their behalf 

Yours very respectfully, 



J. S. NEWBERRY. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




013 744 384 3 



Hollinger 

pH8.5 

Mill Run F3-1955 



\ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




013 744 384 3 



HoUinger 

pH8.5 

Mill Run F3-1955 



